Means for reproducing text and other matter on music-sheets for automatically-played musical instruments



C. E. WHITE. MEANS FOR REPRODUCING TExT AND OTHER MATTER 0N MUSIC SHEETS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAY'ED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, |918.

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3&1# @Romana C. E. WHITE. MEANSFOR REPRODUCING TEXT AND OTHER MATTER 0N MUSIC SHEETS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED DEC.2, IHIB. 1,363,941, Patented Dec.28,1920.

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67mm E Mite C. E. WHITE. MEANS FOR REPRODUCING TEXT AND UTHER MATTER 0N MUSIC SHEETS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC.2, 15H8. 1,363,941. Patented Dec. 28,1920.

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C. E. WHITE.` MEANS FOR REPRODUCING TEXTAND UTHER MATTER 0N MUSIC SHEETS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLAYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED DEC.2. I9I8.

1,363,941, i Patented Dec.28,1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON E. WITE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR REPRODUCING TEXT AND OTHER MATTER ON MUSC-SI-IEETS FOR AUTO- MATICALLY-PLAYED MUSECAL NSTRUMENTS.

Application led December 2, 1918.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, CLrN'roN E. VHITE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Reproducing rlext and other Matter on Music- Sheets for Automatically-Playsd Musical lnstruments, of which the following is a specification.

Automatically -played pianos and like musical instruments are generally operated with the aid of traveling sheets or rolls provided with perforations or other formations to 'cause the production of the desired music. When the music is that of a song, it is desirable that the words or text of the song should become visible successively, appearing to view at about the same time as the corresponding notes are played, so that one or more persons may be able to sin@ the song with the proper words, without requiring to know them by heart, and without any accurate knowledge of the proper time at which the respective words are to be sung.

The object of my present invention is to provide efficient and relatively simple means for producing music sheets bearing text (and other mattei', if desired), with a high rate of output, absolute certainty and uniformity of results, and clear definition of the text or other mattei'.

The machine employed for this purpose includes a traveling master strip for reproducing the text on the likewise travelingr music-sheet by any suitable method; as a rule, l prefer a stenciling arrangement, and this has been illustrated in the main figures of the accompanying drawings, but as an instance of other possibilities, l have also shown a mechanism for printing with type from the traveling master strip.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan i view thereof; Fig. 3 is an end elevation,

looking from the right in Fig. 1; Fig. l is a partial vertical sect-ion, taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, looking from the right in Fig. 2 and illustrating the means for driving my new machine; Fig. '7 illustrates diagrammatically the manner of supporting and guiding the traveling master strip; Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 264,913.

line 8-8 of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a view showing a portion of the music sheet and of the master strip for printing on said music sheet; and Fig. 1,0 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the modied form of my invention referred to above.

In both forms of my invention represented in the drawings, the machine may comprise a table suitably supported on legs 26 and provided with any appropriate means for carrying the music sheet or roll 2'( on which the words of the song are to be reproduced. For instance, the table may have two extensions or brackets 25 provided with inclined slots 25 open at their upper ends and forming at their lower ends bearings for a removable shaft or rod 23 on which the sheet 27 is rolled or coiled so that said rod will constitute a temporary support for the sheet. To the table 25 is secured, as by bolts or screws 29, a frame 3() carrying bearings for certain parts described hereinafter, said frame having a bottom flange 30 for said bolts and an opening 3G corresponding to an opening 25 provided in the table 25. Adjacent to the ends of the opening 25', guides 31 are secured to the. table 25, as by screws or bolts 32, these guides being provided with vertical surfaces (preferably of dove-tail character, see Fig. 2), along which are movable slides 33 formed at their upper ends with bearings for the shaft 3d of the roller or platen 35. rllhis shaft extends through a vertical slot 31 in each guide 31, said slots being preferably open at the top, and preferably the slides 33 are also provided with open-top slots 33 (Figs. 1, land 5) immediately above the bearings of the shaft 34, for a purpose to be stated hereinafter. Below the table 25, each slide 33 carries a horizontal pin 36 on which is mounted to turn a roller 37 in engagement with a cam 33 secured to a horizontal shaft 39 which is journaled in extensions 3l at the lower ends of the guides 31. On one end of the shaft 39, exteriorly of the guide 31, is secured rigidly a bellcrank one arm of which, d0, is under the influence of a spring 41 tending to turn the cams 38 in such a direction as to raise the platen the other arm, dO, is pressed by said spring against a stop 4t2 which is normally stationary but may be adjusted relatively to the table 25, as by screwing in an eye 25L thereof, to adjust the position of the cams and thereby that of the platen 35. The. tension of the spring 41 may be varied, if desired, by an upward or downward adjustment of the screweye 43 to which the upper end of the spring is secured. This adjusting movement is effected by turning a nut 43 engaging the screw eye 43 and resting on a bracket 25] carried by the table 25; the screw eye of course extends loosely through the bracket 25h.

rhe music sheet 27 passes from the support or shaft 28 over the platen 35 and then to a feed roller 44, journaled in bearings 45 secured to the table 25 as by bolts, or screws 45. The sheet 27 is pressed against the roller 44, so that it may be properly fed by the rotation thereof, by means of a presser which may be a roller 46 journaled in arms 47 carried by a shaft 48 j ournaled in extensions 45 of the bearings 45. A spring 49, having one end stationary and the other secured to a crank arm 48 on the shaft 48, serves to press the roller 46 toward the feed roller 44. rlhe pressure of the roller 46 may be varied by adjusting the arms 47 circumferentially on the shaft 48, after loosening the set screws 47 which normally connect said arms rigidly with the shaft; in other words, this adjustment is made by varying the angle between the arms 47 and 48.

On the shaft 44 of the feed roller 44 is secured rigidly a toothed gear 44 in mesh with a pinion 50 on a shaft 50 which also carries a pulley 50 driven by a belt 51, from an electric motor 52 having a pulley 52 for said belt. The roller or platen 35 is driven from the shaft 44 by means of a chain 53 engaging sprockets 34 and 445l on the shafts 34 and 44 respectively, and it is desirable that both rollers 35 and 44 should have the same peripheral speed, for instance by making them of equal diameters and by using sprockets 34, 44a of equal diameters.

A portion of the sheet 27 adjacent to the platen 35 is adapted to come in contact with the mechanism for producing the text (and other matter, if desired) on said sheet. Said mechanism is preferably of a continuous or endless character, and in the form of my invention illustrated by Figs. 1 to 9, the textproducing or marking device comprises an endless band 54 provided with stencil perforations 54 for the words 27 to be produced (and, if desired, with other perforations, say, perforations 54 for producing the expression line 27 on the sheet 27). The width of this band, which I term a master stencil, is considerably less than that of the music sheet 27. T he band 54 is made of suitable material say glazed paper which is ink-repellent.

The manner of guiding and feeding the master stencil may be as follows: A flanged guide roller 55 is mounted to turn on an axle 56 carried by a stationary bearing 30a forming part of the frame 30, and from this roller 55 the band or master stencil 54 extends upwardly to another flanged guide roller 57 mounted to turn on a stub axle 58 secured to a channel 59 carried by stationary standards 60. To this channel are also secured stub axles 61 and 62 carrying flanged guide rollers 63 and 64 respectively, which are preferably of equal diameters and slightly larger than the roller 57, as shown in F ig. 7, so that the band 54 may be threaded in the manner illustrated, without bringing the adjacent portions or runs of said band in contact with each other in the neighborhood of the roller 57. Preferably one or more of the rollers 57, 63, 64 are adjustable lengthwise of the channel 59, for the purpose of giving the band the proper tension. For instance, the stub axle, as 58, may be made with a flange 58 pressed against the channel 59 by the action of a nut 58 which also presses a washer 58 against the other side of said channel so as to exert a clamping action. On the other end of the axle is a loose washer 58a and nuts 58b to position said washer.

The frame 30 is formed with a bearing 30b for a shaft 65 carrying the feed roller 65 of the band 54, said roller being provided with two spaced circumferential sets of radial projections or pins 65, each set located in a plane of rotation and adapted to enter correspondingly spaced perforations 54: near the edges of the band 54. On the shaft 65 is secured a gear wheel in mesh with a gear wheel 44b on the shaft 44, thus driving the feed roller 65. Of course, the linear speed of the band 54 should be the same as that of the music sheet 27, and this may be accomplished, for instance, by making the feed rollers 44 and 65 of the same diameter, and giving the gear wheel 44b the same radius as the gear wheel 651.

The inking and impression mechanism are constructed as follows: On the shaft 34 a sprocket wheel 34 is secured, and from this sprocket wheel a chain 66 extends to a sprocket 67 secured, as by a set screw 67a, to the shaft 67 of an ink roller 67 journaled in a trough 68 secured to the frame 30 as by screws 68. As a rule, I do not lill this trough with ink, but the ink is applied to the surface of the roller 67 by hand or in any other suitable manner, at intervals. From the roller 67 ink is transferred to a roller 69, the shaft 69 of which is movable vertically in slots 30c of the frame 30, said roller being urged downward by springs 70 connected with collars 71 in which the ends of the shaft 69 are journaled, said collars being free to move orslide vertically. rlhe roller 69 is also in engagement with a roller 72, mounted to turn about a stationary axis.

It will be understood that the rotation of the roller 67 will produce a simultaneous rotation of the rollers 69 and 72. In a bearing 30d of the frame 30 is journaled a shaft 73 provided with a pulley 73 driven, by means of a belt 74, from a pulley 52 on the motor 52. The shaft 73 is provided with an eccentric extension 73 parallel to its axis, and on this extension is mounted loosely an arm or yoke 75, at the lower portion of which is journaled the stenciling or printing roller 76. In line with the axis of this roller 76, the yoke 75 is connected pivotally with the swinging end of a link 77, the other end of which is fulcrumed at 77 on a stationary part, such as the trough 68. The rate at which the shaft 73 rotates. is rapid, relatively to the linear speed of the band 54 and music sheet 27 so that practically every point of the band or master stencil 54 will come in contact with the roller 76, the latter taking ink from the roller 72 and transferring such ink, through the perforations 54 (and 54) of the master stencil, to the upper surface of the music sheet 27, producing thereon words 27 (and other marks, say the expression line 27).

In order that the roller 67 may be turned by hand before the printing or stenciling operation is begun, so as to properly distribut-e the ink on said roller and on the rollers 69, 7 2, before such printing, I have shown a handle 67* by which such roller 67 may be turned, after loosening the set screw 67 a, without moving the platen 35 and the feed rollers 44, and therefore without causing the music sheet 27 and the master stencil 54 to travel. If the vibratory roller 76 is in contact with the roller 72, the operation just described will also ink the roller 76 before the feeding of the music sheet 27 and of the band or master stencil 54 is started; otherwise, the inking of the roller 76 will be effected in a very short time when the rotation of the shaft 73 is started, the set screw 67a having been tightened so that the roller 67 will be rotated, its rotation being communicated by contact to the rollers 69 and 72, and also to the roller 76, the latter receiving intermittent rotary impulses whenever it comes in contact with the roller 72. It will be understood that the platen 35 forms a backing for the music sheet 27 and for the band 54 at the point where the roller 76 exerts pressure on them from above.

rlhe music sheet 27 and the master stencil 54 are made with marks A, B respectively, which are to be brought into registry before the printing or stenciling operation is started, to insure that the words 27 (and other marks, such as 27, produced at the same time) will be placed in proper relation to the usual music perforations 27"". In order that the registry of the marks A, B may 65 be obtained readily, it is desirable that one of the sheets or bands 27, 54 should be susceptible of being moved relatively to the other lengthwise. For this purpose I may employ the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, according to which the pinion 50, while held to turn with the shaft 50, is free to slide lengthwise thereof to bring the pinion 50 out of engagement with the gear wheel 44". A forked shifting lever 78 of wellknown character, fulcrumed at 78 and operated by a pull rod 79, may be employed to shift the pinion 50 to the disengaged position, while a spring 80 normally holds the pinion in the meshing position. Ihen the pinion 50 is disengaged, the shaft 44 may be turned slowly by means of the hand wheel 44C (Figs. 2 and 3), so that the music sheet 27 and band 54 will travel much more slowly than when they are driven from the pinion 56, thus giving the operator a better opportunit `to observe the registry of the marks A, and also enabling him to reverse the direction of travel of the sheet 27 and band 54. If' the registry is not perfect, the operator will hold the hand wheel 44c firmly with one hand, so that the band 54 cannot move, while with the other hand he will pull the music sheet in one direction or the other, to cause it to slip along the band 54 until both marks A, B are in proper registry.

In practice, I prefer to make the roller 69 of gelatin or other soft material and the roller 76 of rubber; the platen 35 may be of metal, but I do not wish to restrict myself to these particular materials. On account of the soft character of the roller 69, it might be deformed by the pull of the springs 70 if subjected to their action, when the machine is idle; I therefore prefer to remove the spring-pressure when the machine is idle, which may be done by simply slipping the collars 71 ofiI the shaft 69.

By adjusting the screw 42, the platen 35 may be shifted up or down, thus varying the degree of pressure exerted by the roller 76 at the time of printing.

It will be noted that after passing the printing point or printing line, the music sheet and the master stencil diverge slightly; this is for the purpose of avoiding contact of the pins or points 65 with the music sheet, so that the latter may not be marked or perforated by said points.

Preferably there is a relatively considerable blank space on the master stencil or text-producing band between the place indicated at C, where the operative portion of said band begins, and the place indicated at D where such portion ends. In practice, as illustrated by the drawing, the place or point C may coincide in position with the mark B above referred to, but it will be obvious that this coincidence is not necessary. The purpose of having such a blank space is to allow some latitude as to the time when the operator shall stop the machine after the printing of a music sheet, since if the beginning and the end of the operative portion of the master stencil were close together, there would be danger of printing or stenciling the beginning of the text on the sheet or on the platen after the intended stenciling operation had been completed.

By having the text-producing band or master stencil formed as an endless band, I secure the advantages of being able to operate said band always in the same direction, and I thus avoid the loss of time which would eXist in the case of a band having two ends, owing to the necessity of moving a band of this latter character in the reverse direction between each two printing operations, in order to bring it into proper position to start the new printing or stenciling operation. i

In Fig. 9, the letter` E indicates the printing point or line, and the arrow F the direction in which the music sheet and the 1 master stencil travel.

perforations 54', 54 (Fig. l0). The type would be placed on the outer surface of thek band 54, and the parts 67 to 71 rearranged accordingly as shown. The printing would take place on that portion where the band 54 and the music sheet 27 are in contact, that is to say, between the roller or platen 35 and the presser roller 82. The roller 69 would transfer ink from the roller 67 to an inlring roller 8l, occupying the same relation to the rollers 67 and 69 as the roller 72, but working against the free or printing surface of the type 54a.

In this form, as in the one first described, the platen 35 supporting the sheet 27, projects beyond the tangential plane common to the guide roller 55 and the feed roller 65, so that the printing band is deected inwardly at this point to insure good contact between the music sheet 27 and said band at the printingpoint or printing line.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim 'as my invention:

l. A machine of the character described, comprising supports for guiding a longitudinally-traveling printing band, additional supports including a platen, which carry a longitudinally-traveling sheet, to be printed, adjacent to a portion of said band, means for feeding said band, an inlring mechanism cooperating with said printing band, an operative connection between said feeding means and said inking mechanism, to drive the latter, said connection including means whereby it may be interrupted, means for actuating said inlring mechanism independently when it is disconnected from said feeding means, and impression-effecting means.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising supports for guiding a longitudinally-traveling printing band, a platen located between two of said supports, additional supports which, in conjunction with said platen, carry a longitudinally-traveling sheet, to be printed, adjacent to a portion of said band, an inlzing mechanism cooperating with said printing band, means for feeding said band, an operative connection between said feeding means and said inking mechanism, said connection including means whereby it may be interrupted to enable the inking mechanism to be operated independently of said feeding means, and means for effecting an impression, with the aid of said printing band, on that portion of the sheet which engages said platen.

3. A machine of the character described, comprising means for supporting a longitudinally-traveling printing band and a longitudinally-traveling sheet, to be printed, in such a manner that a portion of said band will be adjacent to a portion of said sheet, means for effecting an impression, with the aid of said portion of the printing band, on the said portion of the sheet, means for feeding said sheet and band, a power drive for said feeding means, said drive including a separable connection whereby the feeding means may be freed for operation independently of said drive, and means. for operating said feeding means manually when disconnected from said power drive.

d. A machine of the character described, comprising supports for guiding a longitudinally-traveling printing` band, a platen located between two of said supports, additional supports which, in conjunction with said platen, carry a sheet, to be printed, adjacent to a portion of said printing band, means for feeding said band and sheet, and vibratory mechanism, operating in registry with said platen, for effecting an impression on said sheet with the aid of said printing band.

5. A machine of the character described, comprising supports for guiding a longitudinally-traveling perforated printing band of the stencil type, a platen located between two of said supports, additional supports which, in conjunction with said platen, carry a sheet, to be printed, adjacent to a portion of said perforated band, means for feeding said band and said sheet, and vibratory ink-applying mechanism, operating on the side of the printing band opposite to the said sheet, for carrying ink through the perforations of said band to the sheet, as the latter passes in contact with the platen.

6. A machine of the character described, comprising supports for guiding a longitudinally-traveling printing band, a platen located between two of said supports., additional supports which, in conjunction with v said platen, carry a sheet, to be printed, ad-

aid of the printing band.

7. A machine of the character described, comprising supports for guiding a longitudinally-traveling perforated printing band of the stencil type, a platen located between two of said supports, additional supports which, in conjunction with said platen, carry a sheet, to be printed, adjacent to a portion of said perforated band, means for feeding said band and said sheet, ink-applying mechanism, operating on the side of the printing band opposite to said sheet, for carrying ink through the perforations of said band to the sheet, and mechanism for effecting relative vibratory movement between the platen and said ink-applying mechanism, to effect an impression as the sheet passes in contact with the platen.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specication.

CLINTON E. WHITE. 

